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Books Lately

The last few years reading has been pretty scarce. I have read a few books here and there but nothing I really liked. There was a few I tried to get into and just couldn’t do it. There was a book club I tried for a while but that seems to have stopped. The books weren’t the best either but at least it got me reading. I read Gone Girl and hated it. Maybe it’s just me, I am contemplating watching the movie just to see if I was missing something, if the awesome just happened to not dawn on me. A chance at redemption for a book so wildly popular.

The book I am reading right now though is awesome. I was reading news articles and came across one about Reese Witherspoon’s latest projects. One was based on a book, I watched the trailer and was hooked. I went home, got on my Kobo and ordered it from the library. They had 11 copies so I got it right away. Love it when that happens.

Wild is about the authors hike along the Pacific Crest Trail. A lot of the book focuses on the decisions, mistakes and events that led up to the decision to hike the PCT. I really hate books that complain where characters make stupid mistakes, it just makes me want to slam my head into the wall, this is not one of those books. The author made very serious mistakes following the death of her mother. These mistakes are never glossed over, she admits them, understands why she made those decisions and how they affected her life. Yet there is no wining, complaining, or pity seeking. This is her life and she’s owning it. I am only part way into the book and while I don’t agree with some of the directions her life has gone, I don’t hate her, I understand her. Was her decision to hike the PCT smartly executed, nope, but it’s perfect. It’s the culmination of 4 years of pain and decisions brought about by pain.

The writing is fantastic. The transitions between past and present flow effortlessly. The descriptions are believable without going over the top. I also don’t feel like the author is trying to make you like her. She’s just putting her story out there as it is, letting it stand for itself. That is admirable, humans are flawed and embracing that is rare. I feel like everyone tries to make the truth more glamorous than it is, that even their life story isn’t good enough. So far I am not getting that vibe from this book. It certainly isn’t another “A Million Little Pieces” if you catch my drift.

It’s so much better than the fluff I read before. I am truly enjoying this book and looking forward to the movie.

I’ll have to do a review when I am finished and then when I get to see the movie.